The Russian Kilo-class submarine is nothing new.
It’s been around in some form or another since the 1980s.
But Krasnodar represents a significant evolution.
Moscow’s keen to export them for desperately needed hard currency, given the swath of sanctions
that have been applied against the country since it invaded Crimea in 2014.
As such, it’s marketing Krasnodar and the submarines of its class as the quietest in
the world.
In this video, Defense Updates analyzes WHY KRASNODAR IS RIGHTLY DUBBED AS 'BLACK HOLE’
BY U.S & NATO ?
Putin had warned NATO that the submarine would be passing through friendly waters.
NATO knew the new submarine was passing by.
And new submarines are items of keen interest.
How noisy is it?
What are its unique sound signatures?
How long can its batteries last?
Does it carry any new equipment?
Any info could be useful in any future conflict.
Several specialist NATO anti-submarine frigates were following, determined to find out.
The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush put its sea-scanning Seahawk helicopters
to the task.
As was a flight of new P-8 Poseidon sub-hunting aircraft based in Italy.
But the Russians weren’t going to play.
The submarine had travelled on the surface — in plain sight — through the North Sea
from Russia’s northern naval bases.
NATO warships — including Britain’s HMS Somerset kept a watchful eye on it, waiting
for it to submerge, but it didn’t.
At least not until it reached Libya, where Russia’s Defence Ministry abruptly warned
international airlines that it would be taking part in military exercises off the coast.
It was part of a sales-pitch to Egypt, and others, who are in the market for modern — quiet
— conventionally powered submarines.
NATO lost Krasnodar in middle of the exercise and , out of the blue on May 29, a series
of cruise missiles tore through the air towards targets around Syria’s besieged city of
Palmyra.
They were Russian missiles and they came from the Krasnodar.
This changed everything.
The submarine was able move from Libya to Syria a distance of more than 2000 km undetected
even with significant number of NATO assets trying to track it.
It also posed a troubling question: who was hunting whom?
The submarine has a max range of 6000 to 7500 mmi & a max speed of 20 knots.
It has an endurance of 45 days.
The submarine posses an excellent armament which includes:
* 6 x 533 mm torpedo tubes for a total of 18 torpedoes
* 4 Kalibr or Club missile for land-attack , anti-ship missile and anti-submarine role
* 24 mines * 8 Strela-3 or 8 Igla-1 Surface-to-air missiles
“They were flexing their muscles,” said Rear Admiral Kenneth Whitesell, commander
of the USS Bush strike group, told the Wall Street Journal.
“One small submarine has the ability to threaten a large capital asset like an aircraft
carrier," said US Navy Capt. Bill Ellis, commander of US anti-sub planes in Europe.
Naval analyst and historian Dr Alexander Clarke said the design of Krasnodar is interesting,
and appears to be very successful.
“It’s probably the quietest Kilo, and all powered down running just on batteries
in the noisy Mediterranean, that could start to cause worry — even for NATO.”
“And the Russians will not only build more for themselves, they’ll probably be building
similar vessels for others.
Vietnam, Algeria, India and Iran will all be interested in that capability ... and you
can be sure China wants to match it.”
“With the likes of Krasnodar now having cruise missile capability, they are pretty
much the kingpin of Russia’s sea denial/anti-access forces ... a mobile minefield which is also
capable of precision strike.
It’s what Australia wanted from the Collins class, Japan from the Soryu’s and Israel
from the Dolphins.
The difference is Russia seems to have got it and are confident enough to flaunt it.”
The new phase of a deadly old Cold War game appears to panning out after a Syrian jet
fighter was shot down by the USS George H.W. Bush’s F/A-18 aircraft on June 18.
Moscow threatened to shoot down US fighter aircraft in retaliation.
Russia has worked to enhance its naval capabilities since 2000.The Russians are also building
two other new designs.
Both are nuclear powered, The Borei class are Russia’s new generation of ballistic
missile submarines — the cornerstone and most survivable part of its nuclear arsenal.
The hunter class, called the Yasen, is intended to destroy US aircraft carriers like USS George
H.W. Bush.
And the Wall Street Journal speculates one of these — the Kazan — may have secretly
shadowed the USS George H.W. Bush and Britain’s newest aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth,
during August exercises in the North Atlantic.
This all adds up to presents a major step back towards the level of submarine activity
that was a feature of the Cold War.